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Update on Mastitis Situation

Hello ladies! So here's a small update since I last posted.

I rented the Ameda Platinum hospital grade pump (anyone in Maryland who wants to rent one should message me for info - I called about 8 places and this lady is, by far, the cheapest and easiest to work with). It was going pretty well - I was able to pump more milk out versus when I was using my small portable Ameda Purely Yours pump. With massages and constant pumping/breastfeeding, I managed to soften up my affected breast and I seriously thought the issue was going to be completely resolved within 2 days. Then I woke up and found my left breast swollen almost 3x's bigger then my right breast. The skin had began to tear and I could see what looked like a white bubble/bump forming under the skin. Pain (even with painkillers) was unbearable. I called my Lactation Consultant and she said it sounded like things progressed into a worse state... perhaps the antibiotics wasn't working or something. I went to see my OB/GYN today and he ended up getting a breast surgeon to drain the breast.

I'm not sure how many people went through this procedure, but trust me - it's not pretty. For those of you who have a oversupply of breastmilk, don't forget to pump/feed constantly or you might end up having surgery! Who would have thought skipping one session would end up so terribly?!

My left breast now has a large gouge on it and the pain... well... it's definately not a walk in the park. I've tentively tried pumping, but threw out the breastmilk, since it probably wasn't safe with all that gunk oozing out. My biggest worry is losing my milk production in that breast. Has anyone else had this surgery? How did you keep your milk production up? Also, how long does it take to heal?

To me, it looks almost like being stabbed with a small kitchen knife... I could just smack myself on the back of the head for ending up with Mastitis. Breastfeeding is so much more time consuming and stressful then I envisioned it was going to be!

Re: Have Mastitis: Really need support & encouragement

He numbed the area, then used a scapel to slice open the affected breast/area. Tons of pus, fluid and breastmilk (probably all that was stuck in the breast up until now) just flowed out and soaked my entire upper body. (I know I know... it sounds gross. I'm suddering just typing this all out!)

My docter said I could try pumping, but the milk had to be tossed out until the incision has healed. The surgeon is leaving the cut open for a few days, to let the abscess drain itself... so I'm stuck with this "mini knife wound" until the end of the week. Thankfully (as I'm typing my forum post), the painkiller is kicking in and the stabbing pain has now subsided to a dull throbbing.

The next few days are going to be a challenge. Pumping is quite difficult when trying to position the flannel away from where the incision was made...

Re: Have Mastitis: Really need support & encouragement

Oh, gosh, I am so, so sorry.

I had to have a biopsy while nursing, and milk continued to leak from the incision site for a while. It was very challenging to pump on that side. In order to heal the incision, I had to partially wean off that side for a while, to reduce the milk flow and thus get the incision to close up. I was suffering from oversupply at the time, so it was tricky. I think there might be some old posts here that specifically address healing an abscess while breastfeeding.

I don't know that the milk needs to be tossed until the incision heals. That just doesn't make sense to me. Until the infection is under control, okay, but what does the incision healing have to do with that?

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.

Re: Have Mastitis: Really need support & encouragement

I should add that you may not need to wean or decrease feedings on that side at all. The only reason I had to was that milk continued to flow (more like, gush) out of the incision site for days after the biopsy. This is called a "milk fistula" and it can happen with any incision site in the lactating breast, but it doesn't happen with everyone. If you're not getting a ton of fluid draining from your incision site (or if it's more pus than milk), you may not need to back off at all. I would pump as much as possible, and as long as the milk is coming out white and free of blood or pus, I'd bet it's safe for your baby to drink. (Actually, even milk with blood or pus in it is safe, but some babies will reject it based on taste.)

Do you have a lactation consultant? When I had my biopsy, I went to an IBCLC who was recommended as one of the best in town. Turns out, she really did know her stuff. She helped me develop a plan to heal my breast, tame my oversupply, and get back on track. She was awesome. But this is a pretty obscure issue - not every LC will have the requisite knowledge.

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.

Re: Have Mastitis: Really need support & encouragement

Here are some old threads dealing with healing incisions on the breast while breastfeeding for you to check out (again, keep in mind your situation may not be the same as those described here, it really depends on the person - for example, I hope you DON'T have a fistula, but if you do, these posts might help) -